Oţelul ready to throw everything at Basel

A point at FC Oţelul Galaţi will not be enough for FC Basel 1893 coach Heiko Vogel, who believes he needs all three to have a chance of denying Manchester United FC or SL Benfica one of the top spots in UEFA Champions League Group C, and the Romanian champions' boss Dorinel Munteanu is not interested in any half measures either.

Oţelul
Coach Dorinel Munteanu
It is a very, very, very important match; if we want to keep some hopes alive, we have no other option than to win. Basel already have five points and can afford to draw, while we have to win. I hope my team will play well and sensibly, with composure and patience.

I respect our opponents enormously. Basel have several first-class players who are very strong, but this respect does not have to transform into fear. My players do not have any reason to be afraid or under any pressure, because we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Basel have weak points like any team, and I hope we will be clever enough to profit from those. The crucial thing will be to play as a team, because everything we have achieved so far is thanks to the collective spirit and to the unity within our squad.

Weekend result
Friday: Oţelul Galaţi 1-0 FC Sportul Studenţesc Bucureşti (Iorga 51)
Grahovac; Râpă, Perendija, Costin, Sălăgeanu; Giurgiu, Filip (Paraschiv 69); Antal (Frunză 88), Viglianti, Iorga (Ilie 80); Pena

• With Cristian Sârghi serving a suspension, the Galati side sealed their third successive 1-0 league win, and their fifth consecutive victory in as many domestic fixtures; they had mustered five in their previous 15 outings this season.

Team news
Ionuţ Neagu was rested on Friday after returning from international duty with a leg muscle problem, though Gabriel Giurgiu was in the starting XI after being out with a stomach problem. Laurenţiu Buş has not featured since 2 October because of a left ankle problem.

Basel
Coach Heiko Vogel
We are happy to be in Bucharest, even if the weather is not as sunny as it is in Basel. We know exactly what we can expect tomorrow. Oţelul will do their best to win their first points in this UEFA Champions League season, but we want to win points too; anyone who does not fight for points has no place in this competition. I would not be satisfied with a draw. We have come to Bucharest to win, then we would have a chance to qualify when we play against Manchester United [on matchday six].

People might say that this trip to Bucharest is the easiest we have had after we earned draws in Manchester and Lisbon, but I don't see it that way, because for matches like this, your concentration has to be at the highest level. We know Oţelul are a strong team, who are very tight in defence and can be dangerous. Our match in Basel [a 2-1 win earned with a late penalty] was a difficult one, and I am sure that this one will be at least as difficult.

Weekend result
Saturday: Basel 1-0 BSC Young Boys (Streller 27)
Sommer; Steinhöfer, Abraham, Dragović, Park; Shaqiri (F Frei 90+1), Huggel, G Xhaka (Cabral 69), Zoua; A Frei (Chipperfield 84), Streller

• Marco Streller's first goal in six league matches secured Basel their 12th win in 16 games in all competitions.

Team news
Valentin Stocker (knee ligaments, out since 23 April), Gilles Yapi (knee ligaments, 24 July) and Kay Voser (ankle, 17 September) are sidelined.

Match fact
This is Basel's fourth UEFA Champions League group stage campaign after previous outings in 2002/03, 2008/09 and 2010/11 but they have not reached the last 16 since their debut appearance nine years ago.